Otis's Origins Rewrite
by PieceOfShit96
Summary: A reworking of my Otis Origin's story. How Otis came in to the Firefly family
1. Chapter 2

The kid that wandered into Cutter's shop was creepy and skittish, but damn was he a good worker.

He wouldn't let Cutter touch him at all, even brushing past him a little too closely seemed to scare the shit out of him. Cutter figured he was just that way- some people were jumpy little things, and he definitely was a little thing. He and Cutter were almost the same height, but he was skin and bone. The clown swore he could bench press him if he had to.

He wasn't well- he could see that from the get-go. He had a heavy limp that only got worse as the days went on, and he smelled horribly of infection. He developed a cough, too, which often made him swoon when he suffered a really terrible fit.

Otis could have been dying, for all Cutter knew. But that kid with the hair like the moon and eyes like blood came every single day to work.

Until one day, he didn't.

If it had been anyone else, Cutter wouldn't have cared. People missed work. But in the weeks that he had known Otis, he knew that he was reliable and diligent- always on time and always giving his all at whatever he was doing. So for him not to show up was odd. In their discussions, he had pieced together where Otis was living- squatting in an abandoned apartment building that still had electricity and running water.

He drove to the building, fully expecting the worst.

When he threw down the door with his body weight, he wandered through the apartment, then tripping over something on the floor.

That something was the poor albino bastard who hadn't shown up for work that day.

"Aw, fuck!" He knelt beside Otis, who slowly put a gun to Cutter's head. His hands were shaking so heavily, Cutter wondered how he was even holding the weapon up. "Hey, relax kid. It's me. It's Captain Spaulding. Remember? It's just me. The clown, remember? Relax."

Otis stared at him, drenched in sweat, panting, even paler than he usually was.

"It's okay. Not gonna hurt you. Bet you're too weak to even cock that sucker, kid."

Otis feebly tried to cock the gun, and Cutter found that he was right.

"Okay. I'm gonna get you straightened out. We're gonna get you outta here, okay?"

Otis moaned, letting his arm fall. The gun clattered away from him and he whimpered in protest.

"It's alright. You don't need it." He rolled Otis onto his back, listening to the younger man growl in pain. "Shit man, you're really busted up, ain't ya? I'm gonna need someone else to help me get you out of here."

Otis wheezed, peering at Cutter through half-closed eyes.

"I know. You don't trust me. But you're gonna die if you don't, and you don't really have any other choice, either. You can't exactly defend yourself."

"It's okay. You're okay. Don't you die on me. My wife'll kick my ass if she finds out I didn't get to you fast enough." He let Otis settle, ripping up a shirt and drenching the fabric in cool water before laying it on his head. "I'm gonna see if I can get you out of here myself."

"How...?" Otis croaked.

"I think I can carry you. You're not a big guy, you know."

With that, Cutter hoisted Otis onto his shoulders and carried him out of the building. He tried to ignore the pained protests of the battered man as he loaded him into his truck and drove away.

Otis faded in and out of consciousness, but when he was coherent, he heard Cutter begging him not to die, to just hang on a little longer.

He finally felt the truck stop, heard Cutter slam the door and rush into the house. His door opened and he toppled out into strong arms.

"Whoa, hey, buddy. Ok, you're breathing. Barely, but you are."

He didn't recognize the voice, and alarms rang in his head. Fuck, who was touching him? It was a man. A BIG man. Was he going to tie him down and brutalize him like his father used to?

"You're alright. Relax. None of us is gonna hurt ya." He grumbled. Otis grimaced. He must have tensed and given away his fear. He couldn't help the whining moan that escaped his lips when he was lifted out of the car. His whole body ached, throbbed in an excruciating rhythm. Not to mention his injuries that he had sustained from a victim that had just gotten too feisty. "Sorry, sorry."

He felt himself being laid on a bed, but was too tired, too sick and too injured to react. He had wasted his energy on the initial panic.

"Holy fuck, John why'd you wait so goddamned long this kid's gonna die!" Another new voice yelled.

"He wouldn't come when I offered..." He grumbled back.

"Well, then it's his own damn fault if he does croak." The older voice answered back. Otis felt cool steel against his leg, and heard the rip as his jeans were filleted, along with his shirt. Otis whimpered in protest- he felt exposed. And there was nothing he could do about it. "S'alright, kid. We're gonna take care of ya."

Otis coughed feebly. He didn't even have the strength to discharge the air anymore.

"John, go get an oxygen mask and a tank."

Otis felt the mask being pressed to his face and tried to turn away, to no avail.

"Dammit, Otis stop squirmin'. It'll help you." He finally got the mask in place on Otis's face, and he seemed to relax himself. Oxygen filled his lungs and he calmed- he didn't feel like he was being strangled anymore.

"Got a lung infection on top of this. Fantastic." The older man grumbled, massaging the puss out of Otis's infected leg wound.

"Oh, god..." Cutter cringed, backing away as the scent of infection filled the room. "That's...fuckin' ripe..."

"Yeah, well imagine how it felt. It'll feel much better now."

Otis groaned.

"Yeah, that's what I thought. This wound on your stomach doesn't look much better." As the older man began to work the infection from the wound, Otis feebly howled in pain, choking and coughing on his own agony. "I know. Calm down, kid."

Working up enough strength, Otis grabbed the older man's wrist, squeezing as hard as he could.

He chuckled. "Kid's still got some fight left in him. Relax. You're not gonna push me off and you're going to exhaust yourself trying."

"What's he tryin' to do, Hugo?" Cutter asked.

"He's tryin' to get me to stop. Must hurt like a bitch." He easily grabbed Otis's hand and threw it to the side. Otis growled in pain, frustration and fear. There was nothing he could do- Hugo had just proven that- and it petrified him. "How much this kid weigh, Cutter? Ain't nothin' but skin and bone."

"I don't know. I...I don't even know if he's been eating at all, to tell you the truth. I haven't seen him eat at work."

"We'll get him straightened out. Get some meat on them bones and get him back on his feet."

Otis began to relax again as Hugo cleaned his wounds again and dressed them. His eyes felt heavy, and his body was tired- more tired than he had felt in his entire life.

"That's it, kid. Just rest. You're alright." Hugo reassured as he placed a blanket over Otis, who whimpered desperately one last time before succumbing to sleep.


	2. Chapter 3

"Sweetie...?" A woman cooed, stroking Otis's face. He flinched back weakly. "Sweetie, shhh. Calm down now. I'm Eve. I'm Cutter's wife. You're gonna be alright. It's all gonna be okay." She soothed.

Otis closed his eyes again. His brain pounded against his skull and his body ached. He was freezing, but he could feel that he was drenched in sweat.

"He awake, Eve?" Hugo called.

"I woke him up..." She admitted.

"How's he lookin'?"

"About the same. IV is almost through." She said, peering at the hanger in front of her. Otis glanced down to his arm. When had Hugo put an IV in?

"He was so dehydrated...Do you know how hard that IV was to put in?"

"Ohh, sweetie..." She stroked his arm, then resting on his hand and stroking the pale flesh lightly with her thumb. "You look so miserable...Can't you give him anything for pain?"

"Already gave him something. You're right though, it probably still hurts like a bitch."

"He's shaking...He must be in so much pain..."

"No, that's probably because he's scared out of his wits. Wouldn't be surprised if he was hallucinating right now, even."

"Ohhhh, you poor sweet thing."

"Don't get too attached, Eve...He's not out of the woods yet..."

"Wh...What?"

"We could still lose him..."

"We won't...He's a fighter. I can tell."

Otis felt a cool sensation on his brow and moaned in appreciation. Though the rest of him was freezing, his face felt like it was going to melt off and his eyes would boil.

"That feel good, honey?" Eve soothed, dipping another cloth in the cool water and placing it over his eyes. He moaned again in response, weakly nodding his head.

"Good idea, Eve. Bring his fever down a little and keep him comfortable." He said, nodding.

"We need to get some weight on him...He's nothin' but skin and bone..."

"That'll come later. That's...probably why he got so bad so quick, though."

"Don't you worry sweetie. Once you get back on your feet, we'll get you some good food. I'm a great cook." She winked.

"That she is, kid. She'll get some meat on your bones in no time. Better than John's grease-ass chicken. That's for damn sure."

"Ohh, Daddy." Eve scolded.

That night, Otis struggled to breathe, wheezing heavily. He began to panic, breathing faster and faster. He couldn't get enough air into his lungs to satisfy himself.

This couldn't be it. This couldn't be the way he'd go. Make it this far and die of a fucking infection? Hell.

"Shhhh...It's okay. Relax. Relax." Eve murmured, stroking his arm. "Breathing quicker is only going to make it worse. Slow down. Slooooooowwww down."

Otis tried to obey, but the rattling in his chest was horrifying to him.

"Eve...This doesn't look good..."

"Can't you do anything?" She asked, tears brimming in her eyes.

"I...I can try, but I don't...I don't think he's going to make it through the night, Eve..."

"W...What?"

"I would get John up here to say goodbye..."

As Eve left, Hugo turned to Otis. "You've gotta fight, kid. If you wanna live, you've gotta fight."

 _I've fought my whole life...I'm so tired...When can I rest?_ He thought, whimpering.

"It sounds like your lungs are filling up with fluid. I'm going to put a chest tube in to try and drain it out. I can't promise that it'll work, but you've gotta fight. Remember that." Hugo explained.

Otis nodded as Cutter came into the room.

"Hey, kid..." He knelt down beside Otis's bed. "Uhm...I-I...I'm sorry I didn't get to you sooner...If...If I had, you might...You might have made it..."

Hugo scoffed. "He's not dead yet. He might still make it through the night."

Cutter nodded. "I hope ya do, kid. And then we can bring you into our family...And you can be sure that you're safe and will have food in your belly and clothes on your back." He sighed. "I'm sorry, Otis...I should have made you come here sooner. I know you wouldn't have asked, but I should have just made you..."

Tears formed in the corners of Otis's eyes. God, damn he was so fucking tired. If this constant struggle and hurdle after hurdle was what life was, Otis wasn't sure he wanted it. But at the same time, he had come so far. What if there was more? What if it was worth his fight and he finally got all he longed for?

"It's okay...It's okay if you need to let go...But if you can fight, fight, dammit. Fight for your life. I know your life has been hell. But it's going to be better from here on out. I promise."

Eve sniffed as she took Otis's hand in hers, gently stroking his arm with her other. "Please, baby boy...Please fight...We want to have a new family member. This room can be yours if you just push through.

Cutter pulled a chair beside Eve, who was sitting on Otis's bed.

"We're gonna stay with you. You won't be alone. You won't have to die alone if you slip away...Don't be scared. We're both right here. You won't be alone." He reassured.

"I'm going to put a chest tube in him to drain the fluid off of his lungs. It should help him stay comfortable and might be the solution to him getting worse..." Hugo pushed through them to get to Otis's side. His ribs were so prominent that he could see exactly where he needed to snake the tube through.

"You need us to leave?" Cutter asked.

"No, just stay out of my way." Hugo retorted.

Otis groaned pitifully as Hugo inserted the tube, draining thick, maroon sludge from his chest. The pain was excruciating, but he couldn't react any more drastically. He felt some pressure ease off of his lungs. Breathing became easier.

"Holy fuck. Well, that should make him feel better at any rate."

Eve stroked Otis's face. "You just rest honey. We'll be right here. You don't have to be alone. If you need to go, just let go. But I hope you fight..."

As Otis drifted into sleep, he wondered if he would wake up.

Eve sobbed quietly, squeezing Cutter's free hand with her own. Both of them were touching Otis- Cutter had his hand on his shoulder and Eve was holding his hand.

"Come on, babe...There's nothing we can do now. We just gotta hope for the best, huh?"

"I just...I just want him to live. I don't want him to die...I want him to see what life can be like."

"Even if he does slip away, at least he'll know someone cared."

"I hope so, John..."

"Of course he knows. He stopped flinching, didn't you see?"

She nodded, whimpering.

"And he won't have died alone."

"I love you, Johnny..."

He smiled softly. "Love you too, Eve."

"I just want a new baby...I want to nurture him."

"And I'm sure you will, honey."


	3. Chapter 4

Otis let his eyes flutter open in the morning sunlight. Was he dead? Was this heaven?

"Congratulations, kid. You made it through the night." Cutter said, smiling.

"Oh, thank god..." Eve sighed in relief. "We didn't lose him, John. We didn't lose him." She hugged him tightly.

"I know. Thank god."

 _You can thank God all you want but my body still hurts like hell..._ Otis thought.

"That chest tube must have been what he needed. I can't believe all that came out of him." Hugo remarked. "He's still not completely out of the woods, but he's at least better than he was last night. I thought for sure we'd be carrying you out of here in a sheet, kid."

"We stayed with you all night..." Eve commented, yawning. "I'm gonna send Vera up here so she can keep an eye on you now and we can rest."

"Good job, kid. I knew you were a fighter." Cutter smiled.

Vera hesitantly opened the door. "Did...Did he make it?"

"He made it, babygirl." Cutter proudly answered.

"Oh, yay!"

"Can you take over now? We're gonna get some sleep."

"Sure thing!" She sat next to him on the bed, replacing her mother. "I'm so glad you fought...I'm so glad you're still here."

Still too weak to speak, Otis offered a small smile.

"I can't wait to hear your story...To get close to you." She stroked his hair lightly, ignoring his mild flinch. "You want a drink of water?"

Otis nodded. He hadn't realized how thirsty he was until she had offered. She propped his head up gently, holding the glass to his lips as he drank greedily.

"Shhh, careful. You'll make yourself sick."

"Thank you..." He managed.

"Aw..." She lightly stroked his face. He closed his eyes tightly, expecting a blow- instead, a tender caress. "That's the first I've heard you talk...You need a shave."

He chuckled slightly, but then broke into a coughing fit, stiffening and groaning in pain once he had finished.

"Whoa, whoa! Relax. Relax..." She held his head in her lap, gently stroking his hair as he caught his breath. "Shhhh...Guess I shouldn't make you laugh, either, huh? I was being serious, though. You're getting long in the whiskers, Otis. Sure it's about the farthest thing from your mind right now, though." He felt her move , but couldn't turn to see what she was doing. He realized when she raked a brush through his hair, cringing as she pulled on knots that had formed over the days he had been immobile. "Sorry...But if you're bed ridden too much longer and I don't brush it out we'll have to cut it off...It's so pretty..."

Once she had untangled his hair, she gently combed through it a few times, just gauging his reaction. His eyes fluttered open and closed, and he struggled to stay awake.

"Awww, you like how that feels? Ain't no body ever taken care of you before?"

Otis sleepily shook his head.

"Ohh...Has...Has anyone ever touched you and it hasn't hurt you? Is that why you flinch?"

Otis nodded.

"I...I'm sorry..." She muttered, stroking his hair as he slipped into sleep.

Otis's fever raged again that night. Baby sat by his side, wiping the sweat off of his brow with a cool cloth as he whimpered and struggled in his sleep.

"Shhhhh, shhhhhh. It's okay. It's okay. No one's gonna hurt you."

"Please...Please stop..." He begged pitifully. "I'll be good...Please Daddy, please..."

She moved to stroke his face, but he flailed, knocking her hands away and crying out in fear. She sighed, unsure of what to do. She needed to get him to calm down. He could hurt himself or pull out one of the tubes in him.

"Well, this calmed you down earlier..." She mumbled, beginning to stroke the brush through his hair. He whimpered and turned his head away at first, but then calmed. After a few moments, he opened his eyes. "Hey. There you are..."

"Angel baby..." He murmured, staring up at her.

"Mmmm..." She stroked his face. He didn't finch- her first cue he wasn't totally 'with it'. "You're still a million miles away, but at least you're a little closer to earth..."

She stayed with him, stroking his hair as he drifted back into darkness.

The next morning, he groaned as sunlight hit his face. She giggled, using her hand to block it from his eyes.

"You back on our planet today?"

He squinted at her questioningly.

"You were pretty far gone last night. That's okay. You're still recovering. Don't worry, you didn't do anything embarrassing."

Within a few days, Otis was sitting up on his own. He was still weak and hurt, but he was improving.

"You look like you're feeling better!" Baby said, smiling.

"Yeah...A little..." He offered a smile.

"You look a lot better. You were cutting it real close there, Otis."

He shrugged. "I...I guess..."

"Well, I'm glad you're better. You're still not 100%, I know, but at least you're out of the woods."

"Yeah..." He glanced at her nervously.

"What'sa matter?"

"I...I don't remember the past few days..."

"Aw, I bet you don't...You were in and out of it so much. Do you remember anything?"

"I remember thinking I was dead...And I looked up and saw your face..."

"Is that when you called me angel baby?"

He chuckled. "Oh. So I did say that out loud."

She laughed. "Yeah, you did. It's okay. I like it!"

"Uhm...Thanks for...For sticking by me."

"You're family now, Otis. Of course. We'll get you up and runnin' in no time. Don't you worry."


	4. I messed up the chapters, sorry

Baby gently helped Otis sit up to eat, placing the tray in his lap.

"Oh, God..." He murmured. He knew there would be no way he would eat all of the food presented to him, but he needed to eat to recover. There was also the possibility- the most feared possibility- that he would gain weight if he started eating regularly.

"Come on, we need to get some meat on those bones."

"Huh?"

"You're nothing but skin and bones...You need to put on a little weight, Otis...I'm sorry if...If that's rude of me to say but you...You can't keep going like this."

"But...I-I..." He looked up at her, his mind reeling. His parents had always told him he was fat. That he needed to _lose_ weight. Then they would love him.

"But what?"

"I-I...Was always told that I needed to be thinner f...for people to love me...Or...Or value me...I don't understand..."

"Who told you that?" Baby asked, thunder clouding her face. Otis flinched away. "Oh, no no. I'm not mad at you. I'm mad at whoever told you that...Because it's not true. Otis...Your life is going to be completely different now. You have people that love and care about you. So here." She pushed the tray closer to him. "Let this be your first change. You need to eat and gain weight so that you're a healthy weight. You are so underweight it scares all of us. No human should have bones that prominent, not if they're healthy. So go ahead, chow down."

Otis slowly ate, savoring each food she had brought him- two slices of toast, a scrambled egg, and an orange. All things that would be easy on his stomach, but were filling.

Once he had finished, Baby took the tray and wiggled closer to him on the bed. "I bet you were the cutest little boy."

"Hm?" He squinted back at her.

"Well...You're a handsome guy now. I can't wait to see what you look like when you're healthy." She licked her lips. "A sight to behold, I'll bet. But I bet when you were a kid you were the most precious thing."

Otis flushed profusely at the compliment, shaking his head.

"Ain't no one ever told you you're handsome?" She asked.

"N...No..."

"Well, you are, Otis." She smiled softly at him as he broke eye contact. "I LOVE your hair. You should grow it longer!"

Otis ran his fingers through his white locks. As it was, his hair barely reached his shoulders. "Had long hair when I was 3 or 4..."

"Oh, yeah?"

He nodded. "Really liked it long...But uh...Mom didn't so..." He shook his head. "Er...Yeah, I will just...uh...Takes some time, yeah?"

Baby gently placed her hand on his. He flinched, but turned back to her when he realized she wasn't going to strike him. "What did your mother do, Otis?"

"N...Nothin'..."

"Alright...You'll tell me when you're ready to talk." She rose slowly. "I'm going out a little bit today. I'll be back later though. Just rest, okay? And if you need anything, just give someone a holler!" She pulled him into a hug before she left, skipping through the door before he could even properly flinch.

When she returned hours later, Otis was sitting up, reading a book, though his eyes were blurring from drowsiness.

"Wooooow! Look at you!"

He tried to stop the smile from spreading on his face, to no avail.

"I knew there was a handsome face under all them whiskers!" She moved to stroke his face, but he flinched, and she dropped her hand. "Who helped you?"

"N...No one. I did it myself."

"Really?"

He nodded. "It took a while, but I got a shower and had a shave..."

"I bet you feel better."

"Mm-hm...Shower felt really good..."

"I bet it did." She noticed him grimace and rub at his neck. "What's wrong?"

"Mm...Back hurts from layin' here all day every day..."

"Maybe I can help." She sat behind him and began gently kneading his shoulders. He gasped slightly at first, alarmed. "Shhhh... Just me. Relax. You're okay."

As Otis melted into her fingers, he moaned softly, as if trying to hide it from her.

"That feel good, Otis?"

"Mmm-hmm..."

"You ever had your back rubbed down before?"

He shook his head. "No..."

"I'll do it for you. You want me to?"

"Y...You don't have to-"

"I want to. I want to make you feel better. Come on. Lie down on your stomach."

He hesitantly did, peering at her warily.

"I'm going to pull your shirt up. Don't be scared. It's just me. I'm not gonna hurt you. Can you see me? That might help if you can keep an eye on me."

He nodded, watching her pump lotion onto her hands. He felt her gentle touch as she worked on his shoulders. His eyes rolled back into his skull as she released tension in his muscles.

Baby tried her best not to cringe at how boney he actually was. It wasn't as noticeable when he was fully clothed, but she found herself able to count his ribs and see the ridges of his spine. Her eyes fell to the scars that decorated his back. Now faint, white lines that criss-crossed his already pale flesh, she wondered how he had gotten them.

"O...Ow..." She heard him murmur as she moved lower on his torso. She pushed on, moving down further and working deeper. "Th...That hurts..."

"Hm?"

"P...Please...That hurts, please stop. Please! STOP!" He began to shake violently, curling in on himself. "Stop...Stop...Please..."

"Shhhh, Otis you're alright. You're alright. It's okay, It's just me. Just me."

"I'm sorry...I..."

"It's okay. You couldn't see me and it scared you. It's okay." She winked at him, knowing it wasn't the full explanation, but also that it was unlikely he would want to explain.

"Y...Yeah..."

"It's okay. I know you're gonna be jumpy for a while. Did that feel good though?"

He nodded, blushing.

"Good. That's what I wanted, was to make you feel good." She cocked her head slightly. "You...You ever had someone touch you like that before?"

"No..."

"Otis have...You ever had consensual sex?"

His face reddened. "Yes!"

"Was she dead?"

He glared, face bright red now.

She leaned forward slowly, gently caressing his chest. His breath hitched as she moved closer to him, almost sitting in his lap.

"You look like a deer in the headlights, sweetheart. Relax."

"W...What're you doing?"

"You like bein' touched like this?" Baby asked, still softly ghosting his skin.

"H...Hnn..." He sighed shakily, nodding. Goosebumps raised on his skin.

She slowly raised her hand, finally making contact with his face. He flinched, squeezing his eyes shut tightly. "It's okay. I won't hurt you." She stroked his cheek with her thumb, and he slowly opened his eyes to meet hers, turning his head to meet her palm. "See?"

Those ruby eyes stared back at her, unnervingly beautiful in the soft light. She knew that once he began to put on weight and muscle, she wouldn't be able to resist him.

She licked her lips, staring at him. She felt him begin to tremble under her. "Shh. It's okay. Not gonna hurt you. I wand to make you feel good."

"H-How...?"

"Oh, I'll show you how, sweetie." She began to kiss down his chest, caressing his flanks as she moved downward. He squirmed in pleasure, whimpering desperately for more. "Aww, baby is that all it's gonna take for you to get all excited? You ain't never been loved on, have you?"

"N-no..." He managed, breathless.

"I think you're still a little weak for the whole thing, but I'll see what I can do for you."

Otis cried out as she took him into her mouth. He fisted the bed sheets, tilting his head back into the pillow and moaning as she pleasured him. He ventured his eyes open, peering at the gorgeous sight before him.

"B-Baby!" He cried as she brought him closer and closer to the edge. She grabbed one of his hands and placed in on her head. He grabbed her hair, jerking at the roots. "MM! BABY!"

As the tension left his body, he gasped for air, watching her wipe her mouth with the back of her hand.

"I can't wait to put a saddle on that thing and ride it. Yee-haw." She giggled, bouncing out of the room.


	5. Chapter 5

Baby watched Otis sleep that afternoon, staying with him to make sure he was alright. Their round the night before had meant nothing to her- just a little pleasure, but she hadn't thought at the time what it might mean to him.

"Mm..." He whimpered, knitting his eyebrows together.

"Shhhh, Otis. Just a dream...Come on out of it, now." She stroked his arm, hoping some minuscule comfort would draw him away from whatever was happening to him in the dream.

He seemed to settle once more , and Baby continued to day-dream. She was startled by another pained whimper from the bed beside her.

"Daddy no..."

"Otis...He ain't here..."

"Nooo...Daddy that hurts..."

She shook him lightly, to no avail.

He screamed bolting upright and scrambling to gain his bearings. "A...AH!" He cried out as he noticed her presence.

"Shh, shh. You're alright."

"Shit..."

"Yeah, I know...Don't get all embarrassed about it. Shit happens." She bit her lip. "Uh...What'd...What'd your daddy do to you, exactly, Otis?"

He shook his head. "Don't wanna talk about it."

"Sure...I'm here if ya do." She gently pat his knee.

"Hey...Last night..."

"Was just some foolin' around, Otis. It don't mean nothin'."

"Okay just...makin' sure."

"Didn't you have fun?"

Otis smirked. "Of course I did. What kinda question is that?"

"Just makin' sure." She smirked back at him. "Wanna do it again?"

"Hn?"

"I said. Wanna do it again?" She murmured as she straddled him, seductively whispering in his ear.

"Hell yeah, woman."

"Alright." She kissed him, expecting his lips to move in harmony with hers. Instead he was awkward, forceful. "Hey, whoa...Relax...Ain't you ever kissed a woman before?"

He blushed slightly, shaking his head sheepishly.

"Okay. Just relax your lips and let me show you the lead, alright? Pay attention." She kissed him deeply, passionately, biting his bottom lip, gently pushing her tongue through his teeth.

"MM!" Otis jerked away, eyes wide. "D...Don't do that..."

"What?"

"W...With your tongue."

"Okay. Okay. Relax." She smirked, licking her lips. "Think you can try now?"

He nodded, and to her surprised, he had improved. Not quite to her standards, but it wasn't as sloppy as he had been initially.

"Open your mouth more." She murmured against his lips. "There ya go. Mmm..." She ground her hips into his, internally cringing. He was still so sickly thin, and she could feel every bone in his body. When she finally broke away, she peered down at him, watching his features. He was exhausted by that small amount of activity. There was no way he would be able to handle her in the state he was in.

"What...?" He mumbled.

"Nothin'. Just takin' in the view." She giggled, crawling off of him. "You're gonna be okay, Otis."

"Whaddya mean?"

"You're gonna get better and you're gonna be strong and fine. Don't you worry none."

He sighed. "Your family has done a lot for me..."

She cocked her head, smile fading from her face.

"Sure as hell more 'n my folks ever did for me."

"You...Didn't have a very good life, did you?"

Chuckling, he shook his head. "No. Not really."

"It's going to be better now, Otis...You...You're going to have a family that loves you and cares about you now. And you're going to be fed regularly. And have a warm bed to sleep in and clothes on your back...And people to come home to."

"How many of y'all are there?"

"Well there's me, Daddy, Mama, Grampa, Tiny and Rufus. Grampa's who worked on you to fix you up. You know Mama and Daddy. Tiny and Rufus are my brothers."

Otis nodded sleepily, as if Baby was telling him a bedtime story.

"And you're gonna be my brother, too. My baby brother."

"I'm older than you, sweetheart."

"Nuh-uh! I'm 18!"

"I'm 24."

"Oh, shit. No way!"

He nodded. "How old did you think I was?"

"Like...14."

"Hah! Good one. That why you been up here teasin' me? Think I'm a young kid who don't know nothin'?"

"Honesly? Yeah..."

"Try again, Angel Baby. I've got a couple miles on me."

She felt her smile fade away as she sat down beside him on the bed. "What happened to you, Otis?"

"Ah, nothin'. Nevermind all that."

"P...Please tell me. It might make you feel better."

"Yeah, right. Fuck that. Tellin' people's only backfired on me from day one."

"O...Oh..." She paused a moment, watching his features. She knew by the way he talked something horrible had happened to him. She just had no idea what. "Hey, I like to hear your voice."

"Hn?"

"Didn't think I'd get to hear it. Thought you weren't gonna make it. So I like to hear it. Why don't you tell me about you?"

He scoffed. "Ain't much to know."

"Oh, don't be that way. I'm sure you've got somethin' interesting about you. Where're you from originally?"

"Alabama..." He murmured. "Been all around though. Don't really consider that home, anyhow."

"Why?"

"Ain't home. You wanna go back to home. I don't ever wanna go back there again. And don't ask me why, either. Because I'm not going to tell you."

"Alright. Alright. What do you like to do for fun?"

"Fun?"

"Yeah, fun...Don't you have any hobbies?"

"Eh. Art, I guess."

"Oh yeah? You make it, you mean?"

"Mm-hm. Make money that way sometimes. If I can steal enough for supplies."

"Do you draw or paint?"

"Little bit of everything. Sculpture, painting, drawing."

"Maybe you could make something for me sometime?"

"Sure." He smirked. "You bring me the stuff, I'll make ya somethin'."

"I would ask what your favorite food is but you're not much of an eater."

He snorted. "No. I'm not."

"You...You know whatever they told you was a lie to hurt you, right?"

Swallowing heavily, he paused. "N...No."

"Well, it was. I don't care what they told you, it was a lie. If they tried to starve you, they weren't good people."

"They didn't just try to starve me." He corrected, staring at her pointedly.

"I know...I'm sorry."

He waved her off. "Nothin' but nothin'."

She sighed, tapping his knee. "You're gonna be okay here, Otis. Just you wait and see." Pulling the covers up to his chest, Baby smiled softly. "You're gettin' worn out from talkin' aren't ya?"

"Yeah...Guess so."

"Well you just rest up. I got plenty of time to hear that voice."


	6. Chapter 6

As soon as Otis started to improve, he fell ill again.

Baby lay with him at night, holding him close in her arms as he slumbered. His fever raged and she sweat against him, the body heat nearly becoming too much. She swiped a cool towel over his forehead, trying to lower his temperature.

"Dammit. What the fuck, Otis. I thought you were getting better!" Hugo growled.

"Shhhhh..." Baby cooed, rocking him in her arms. "It's okay. You're gonna be just fine. Just you fight it, Otis. You come out on the other side for us, okay?"

"Must not have cleared all the infection the first time. Goddammit..."

"He'll be okay, Grampa. I know he will. He's a fighter."

"Mm-hm. He's a fighter all right. Well...If he got through the first one he'll get through this, I bet. Just...Keep him calm and try and bring that fever down." He sighed, closing the door behind him.

"Come on, Otis...Don't lose this battle. You've almost won the war, come on." She placed the cool towel on his head and he whimpered. "Shh. It's okay. You're safe."

"Hnn...Mommy..." He whimpered. "No, mommy..."

Baby cocked her head, listening.

"Hurts...Why're you hurting me...? "

"What hurts, Otis?"

"No...Please mommy I didn't do anything..." He began to struggle against an invisible foe. "Mommy no..." He moaned, arms falling limp beside him. "Don't let daddy hurt me again...Please..."

Her heart broke as she watched her new brother struggle with his past in his nightmares.

"Don't let daddy hurt me again...Please...It hurts too much..."

"It's okay, Otis. It's just a dream...They can't hurt you...Shhh." She rinsed the wash cloth in cool water again, then replacing it on his forehead, sighing as he flinched away from her. "Just me..."

He groaned, opening his eyes. "A...Angel Baby..?" He asked, squinting.

"Yes. It's me. It's me. You're okay."

"Tired..."

"I know. You just rest, okay? I'll take care of you." She stroked his hair as she smiled down at him. "I won't let anyone hurt you."

"Don't...Don't let 'em..."

"I promise. Okay? You just rest. I'll be right here."

"Okay..." He mumbled as he closed his eyes once more. Baby let herself exhale as she wet the cloth once more, placing it on his forehead.

It wasn't long- by her estimates, anyway- before he awoke screaming. She had never heard anyone scream like that. Not one of her victims had as much desperation and fear as she heard echoing from that poor pale man. It chilled her. What in god's name had he gone through? What had he had done to him?

"Shhh! Otis, it's okay! Calm down! I'm right here! It's okay!"

He shook against her, terrified, eyes wide in pure fear. She didn't know what he was seeing through the fever induced hallucinations. But it wasn't something she ever wanted to see, she reckoned.

As he shook, she saw tears begin to roll down his face, and froze. Crying. He was crying.

"Y...you promised." He whimpered, beginning to sob.

"Oh, sweetie no..."

"You promised me...y...You wouldn't l...Let them hurt me..."

"Honey, I didn't. No one was here." She gently wiped the tears from his face, moving with him as he flinched.

"Th...They did!" He continued to sob. "They h-hurt me l...like they always do!"

"Otis, no one is here except you and me. It was in your dreams, sweetheart."

"No..." Inconsolable at this point, he wept. "J...Just...Want them to love me..."

Baby couldn't help but spill her own tears, stroking his hair and cooing softly to him.

"Just...want...loved...Just..." He trailed off into gibberish, still sobbing.

"Don't you worry. You will be loved here. Don't you fret about that. We'll love you so much you won't want it anymore."

"You...Promised..."

"Honey..." She sighed. "It was in your dreams."

He whimpered, confused and heartbroken at her broken promise. Staring at her with tears shining in those crimson eyes, she shattered.

"Come here, sweetie." She adjusted herself so she lay beside him, drawing him into her arms. As he curled into her, hiccuping and sobbing still, she had to resist the urge to recoil from him. She knew he needed comfort now- more possibly than he ever would again- but she hadn't realized the extent of his malnourishment until she felt him so close against her. She wept into his hair, stroking the long white locks as she buried her nose in them. "It's okay. It's all okay now."

She rocked him slightly, murmuring reassurances until he cried himself to sleep or exhausted himself, she wasn't sure.

When morning peeked through the blinds, sunlight touched his face, illuminating his features. Tear stains still highlighted his cheeks, and she gently swiped them away with her thumb. Questions plagued her mind- ones she knew she would never get answered unless she got him drunk off his ass one night. He didn't seem like the type to talk much.

He groaned and pulled away from her touch, cuddling back into her bosom. She giggled and his eyes flew open wildly. He didn't have the strength to push himself away, but she knew if he could have, he would have.

"Hey, relax. Relax. It's alright. Are you comfortable?"

He nodded.

"Then just stay there...Do you remember last night?"

He shook his head.

"That's okay. You had a really bad night, though. I'm glad you don't remember it, actually." She smiled softly, stroking a few stray strands away from his eyes. He flinched, but allowed it. "You just needed some lovin' last night. That's all."

"W...What...?"

"You were having a bad night. Don't worry about it. You're still really sick."

He mumbled something, closing his eyes and settling once more.

"You tired?" She asked. He nodded. "Okay. Just you sleep all you need to then. I'll be right here."

She saw his breathing slow as he fell asleep once more. As soon as he had, Hugo walked through the door and up to the bed.

"He's letting you hold him like that?" He asked, raising an eyebrow. "Fucker's so skittish I can barely touch him."

"He had a bad night last night..." As Baby told the story, Hugo's face softened, shaking his head.

"I knew that poor kid was beat around. Poor fucker. No wonder he's like he is."

"He just wants to be loved..."

Hugo scoffed. "Don't we all? We all just take it for granted. It's people like him who make us realize what we have, because he never did.

She nodded. "Yeah...I hope he learns quick just how much he deserves."

"It'll take some time, Vera. But he will."


End file.
